“When I got to end of reading wanted to keep reading because started getting good.”

Saul and David story was interesting.

Always wondered why we always have so many wars – seem to start here. Problem with God telling people to fight one another and to kill all the people. And God gets mad if they don’t obey. War seemed common – it was noted that in spring they went out to war as if routine. Is it human nature? Geography of that area lends itself to fighting because of waters. Negev is the barren — a lot of fighting for resources. In Deut. 24:20 – when beat olives from tree do not go over second time to leave for foreigner, widow etc…God’s direction doesn’t seem to have rhythm or reason in terms of dealing with others.

Sometimes God instructing Joshua to kill all the people, or sometimes spare them.

David and Jonathan can read as love story and Ruth and Naomi can read more than friendship. That was the first real friendship story. A lot of family relationships but these seemed to be the first real friendship stories.

Ruth and Naomi — What did you think of book of Ruth? Short, sweet. Calming and less turbulent. The story is part of David’s bloodline and Jesus’s blood line. Story of strength and family and community. There’s lots about families and clans and land but this is more a story of unity with family and community and more positive. Strength between daughter and mother-in-law don’t get the same sense as get from the relationship between David and Jonathan.

Ruth

Calming story in the midst of so much war.

Perhaps a united family story, a strong family in community.

A story of nontraditional families.

“Uncover his feet and he will tell you what to do next” was interpreted by some as an invitation to intimacy.

From the beginning of Ruth, there was a famine in the land, and that is why they had to leave and head to Moab, starting the bloodlines of Christ. The famine, by the hand of God, may have driven them to Moab to encounter Ruth the Moabite.

Ruth 1:16 “where you go I will go…” moving and heart went out to Ruth. Started thinking how hard it was for women. She had to go back to her people but wanted to go with Naomi. Saw how God rewarded them for their faithfulness. And cunning — Boaz was cunning. Naomi had wisdom. Uncover feet of Boaz euphemism.

Noted Naomi’s family was part of God’s people but had to move to Moab because of famine but saw how God was merciful. Even though she lost her husband and sons they were sent that way to be saved and met Ruth and Orpah. Naomi’s saving grace. Ruth accepted God as her God and turned from the gods in Moab. Ruth got saved and lineage of Christ began.

This past week’s reading had so many strong women. What women stuck out? Abigail — Nabal’s wife. Nabal was treacherous. Abigail quickly got food together for David. Strong woman. Deborah — a prophet and leader. Jael another woman killed Sisera the commander. Interesting story —Deborah says if go to war with Barak a woman will be credited and turns out to Jael, another woman, kills Sisera. Similar to story of Abimelek being killed by woman in Judges 9.

Sometimes lessons in all the violence not all clear. But in Judges 9 it’s God repaying Abimelek for killing the other sons.

Hebrews kept making same mistakes — “did evil”. But people have short memories or get further removed from what has happened in past. But seems that they god “shop” even though the first commandment is so basic — figured why God made that the first commandment (no other god)– apparently hard to keep also because polytheism was prevalent.

Often times when move to different culture it is the natural tendency to move towards the customs of the culture and when surrounded by polytheists that may have been the tendency.

Sacrifices — they may have been a common methodology used by others so Israelites incorporated and it made it more easy to accept one God because sacrificing was common practice. How much is God’s direct instruction and how much was the author incorporating customs?

Whenever a leader messed up God got a new leader but with Israel when they messed up as a whole God didn’t choose another people. Why Israel? Concerns that God rewarded Jacob who was duplicitous and pulled a trick. Maybe it wasn’t rewarding Jacob but about the people. Sometimes God uses certain people (who have faults) to get to and help other people. Wondered why certain people chosen in the reading. God picked judges but not all of them great people. Don’t have to be perfect which is refreshing. God seemed to pick the least likely.

“God writes straight with crooked lines” – like Ruth appearing in the genealogy of Jesus in new testament.

Even God can make mistakes? Mistake with Saul. God recognizes people have shortcomings. People feel safer and believe people who have been where they’ve been. Where we focus on our inabilities, God sees something else — greater strength. Makes you see God as father figure and he puts hopes in them but kids make mistakes — assume the best but there will be disappointments. Did Saul have mental health issues? His behavior seems so erratic and irrational but in a way God still protected him because David refused to harm him.

Samson and Delilah. Samson — maybe Didn’t appreciate where his strength came from — he was dedicated to God form birth and his hair was a symbol of that. Think the story has to do with temptation. When someone shows you who they are, believe them. Hair symbol of true source of strength — Lord. One more time a woman was used to be deceitful.